It's Me, Isn't It?

A few months after we moved from our home in Texas my friends began to call. They were so excited because a new Starbucks was being built just down the street from my old house! I was so happy and so sad all at the same time! How could I have lived there for 6 years and have to drive all the way into town to get my fix...I mean, coffee...and just as I moved away they built one within walking distance of my front door? To add insult to injury, it was a drive-thru!

When we moved to beautiful NC I loved it immediately. The trees! The seasons! The people! But I did have one major complaint, there was not one Starbucks on my side of town. I complained about this for two solid years (the Carolina gals are nodding in weary agreement). But! I saved a lot of money in North Carolina. Starbucks is not easy on the wallet.

Yesterday I received an email from a dear Carolina Gal. And guess what? YES! I have moved and been gone for 3 months and a new Starbucks is going to open just a few little miles from my NC house! (which still hasn't sold, had I mentioned that yet in this post?)

AUUUGHHHHH!!!!!!!!

So here's the thing...I am beginning to think it's me.

OK...I gotta get off the computer. I need some caffeine.

Drinks On Me!

Good News! Our new house is complete and our household goods are being delivered in 6 beautiful days! So next week will be filled with unpacking, and after 3 months it will feel like Christmas!

So today in celebration I am raising my Thirstbuster from the Circle K. After my workouts in the mornings I have been driving to The K and getting a Powerade (with three pumps of this strange, but good, caffeine stuff). They have this new crushed ice that is just the best. This is my latest obsession (since my Starbucks obsession isn't all that fun when it's 102 outside) and at ¢.69 for that crushed icy goodness, well, that's pretty cool too. So really, I am celebrating this awesome New-House news, but honestly, when it comes to crushed ice, any times a good time!

And for those who might be concerned, I have certainly not given up coffee entirely! I still have my fair share in the morning. Which brings me to something I have been meaning to bring up on the blog...

This blog was named La Vida Dulce, in honor of my favorite coffee, which tragically, is no longer being made (I've been in mourning, but I think I am ready to talk about it now). I found this coffee while I was living in Texas and was blessed to have a few dear friends that were my suppliers while living in NC. I drank my supply in carefully rationed portions and, every once in awhile, shared some with my Carolina Girls (Hi Girls!). Two days ago I was feeling a little stressed and found myself pining away for good cup of La Vida Dulce, but a ThirstBuster is a pretty good backup.

So, I do love coffee, and some good crushed ice. Although generally not mixed together.

(Raisin' my ThirstBuster high in the air!) Cheers!

Summer! and Random Poll May

I am counting down the days until school is out.

Only 5 more (school) days!

I love summer vacation. What's not to like about visitors, Popsicles, swimming, making crafts, baking and most of all, reading in the afternoon?

Several years ago, when my kids stopped napping in the afternoon, I implemented Quiet Time. This was when we would make a "nest" of pillows and blankets in one of the bedrooms and read for 45 minutes or so, and then they had to play quietly for another 30 minutes after we read, so I could have some Quiet Time of my own.

This accomplished two things: I personally needed an afternoon break after playing hard all morning in the pool or park ( I'm no spring chicken you know), and the kids needed to learn how to rest. A lifelong skill I believe we need to learn in a world thats driven by constant activity. But that's a subject for another blog.

Several years ago the kids and I started reading chapter books in the afternoon instead of picture books. And now we like to see how many books we can accomplish in one summer.

So in anticipation of our summer reading I have added a side bar to the right on what books I am currently reading, and the books we are reading as a family.

Here is the Random Poll for May:

What was your favorite book that you read as a child?

Celebrating Twelve on the 13th

Whew! This weekend was a whirlwind of activity and celebration! Not only was it Mothers Day but it was also my father-in-laws birthday and our 12th Anniversary.

I love our anniversary. I think it is so fun to go back and try to remember all the things we have done in the years past. Last year we bought a kayak. The year before we moved to NC. The year before that we think we went out to eat. And the year before that we got matching tattoos...yes, we really did.

We laughed about those early days when, living on a very tight budget we would go buy a loaf of French bread and some cheese and climb up the foot hills of the surrounding mountains and sit and chat and watch the city lights come on. That was often our standard date. It was also my favorite date.

I remember living on campus, in that first year of marriage, and every once in awhile deciding that ice cream sounded like a good dinner. So we would walk a couple miles to the Cold Stone Creamery, pick up our dinner, and slowly walk home.

This year we took the kids up the mountain and hiked. We ate a loaf of French bread and cheddar cheese and did our best to escape the desert heat, which was over 100! After 12 years of marriage (plus two years of dating!), that's still my favorite thing!

La Vida Dulce!

Here are a few more pictures of our Mother's Day and Anniversary.

Before

I am assuming that the three people who read this blog already know this, but I will say it anyway: I am not good at waiting.

But the old saying is true: Good Things Come to Those Who Wait.

And for the record, we almost missed this one.

I have been very anxious to get settled here in our new town. I think that is my womans heart. For 12 years I have been the keeper of our home, and it has been my work to provide a comfortable and peaceful place for my family and those who visit our home. Being a homemaker is what I always desired to do!

So it has been hard to not be settled into our own home. The arrangements in my parents home have been very comfortable, but since my life's work requires a home of our own, i have been chomping at the bit to find one.

Of course, it has been hard since the NC house has not sold, and I had been discouraged at the prospects here in our new city. The market is considerably different here!

But this weekend some long time friends of my Mom and Dad decided to sell an investment property they had inherited, and thus starts the story of our new home.

The Mister and I bought a new house in the desert last Saturday, and in the interest of not announcing this good news before the proper time I have waited to post it on the old blog.

We are so excited because the home is perfect for our family of four. It has plenty of room for living and entertaining. It is close to family, and it is being completely redone, inside and out!

The sellers are being unbelievably generous and as a result we are completely repainting the inside and out and are pulling out old carpet and tile and replacing it with new stuff. We are also replacing counter tops in the kitchen. My heart is beating faster as I type!

So I have been very busy this week trying to pick out colors and, for all intensive purposes, make choices (in 5 days) for getting an entire home redecorated. But Oh! it has been so much fun!
You cannot imagine how grateful I feel at this time.

One of the verses I have clung to in the last few weeks is:

Psalm 38:15:

I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God.

I wish I could say that I waited patiently, without whining or complaint, but I am glad that we were protected in the last month, especially as we tried very hard to force the waiting to stop (we made offers on two other houses that fell through).

Are you waiting for something? Hang in there! I know it's hard, but often the waiting is worth it!

La Vida Dulce!

Here are some before pictures...

Looking into Family Room from Kitchen.

Master Bathroom

New House Pics

Master Bath

Looking into Formal living/dining from Master Bedroom.

A view from the Dining Room.

Master Bath

Clicking on the pictures makes them bigger!

Sunset

Y'all, I can't get over the colors in the sunsets here.
I love them.
And when a little squall (storm cloud) tries to come in and give the desert a drink,
the color is even better!

Oh, things are heating up here...by Saturday maybe 102 degrees.

And that's not the only excitement here in the desert...

Exciting news (and pictures) coming soon....

La Vida Dulce!

Reputation

Living at home has brought up many issues that have now become part of who people think I am. For instance almost two decades ago I accidentally burned 30 pounds of tamale masa. That story comes up at least once a month.

Then there is the whole "sweatshirts and socks" thing.

OK, so I admit it. I did have a love for my Dad's clean white tube socks and his big sweatshirts. It is kind of like coffee, when it someone else's it always tastes better. My Dad's socks were always more brilliantly white and seemed, somehow, better. And I will readily admit that when I moved out of my parents house into my home with my husband, I stole his stuff too.

Imagine my curiosity when I was reading the paper this morning and found this:
Serial Sock Snatcher Knee Deep In Trouble Again

Now, my small and insignificant time of sock thievery doesn't sound so bad does it?

Oh yeah, and I overcame my issues...I stopped wearing tube socks and The Mister hides his sweatshirts.

Monday Secret

You know, Mondays are always a little bit boring. Well, maybe boring is not quite the word. Perhaps a better word is bland. It's the hum-drum day of every week. So I thought I would share a juicy secret with you.

Living at home with my parents has it's perks. For instance, they have a beautiful pool in the back yard that my Dad has diligently been getting ready for a summer filled with grand kids who are ready to swim. But lately, this new pool guy has been spending a bit of time out there helping my Dad in his quest. And let me tell you...He Is Hot!

He prefers not to be shown on the blog, because well, he's hunky....but he's shy. Just look at the way he cleans out those leaves and bugs and things with such purpose!

When I went outside yesterday to take his picture he laughed at me and told me to put the camera away....but I told him that when I see a cute pool guy, I like to blog about it. He told me that a cute pool guy isn't all that blog worthy...but I say he's wrong. Plus, it's my blog.

Desperate Housewife? Not a chance. Who needs TV when you've got a man like this?


There's some Monday sassiness for you! ;)


La Vida Dulce!


(P.S.: For those of you who may be worried....please don't. The pool guy is just The Mister in diguise!)

Dry

So it seems I am now a once a week blogger. Which I hate. A few weeks ago I contemplated wrapping this puppy up. Because I like me blog that is updated. But I am going to keep it going, although it's been a bit dry and boring as of late.

Speaking of dry...You can't even begin to imagine how dry I am at this very moment. It's like my skin got so used to humid weather in the last 10 years and now is crying out for mercy. From my hair to my feet I am one dry mess. I can't drink enough water, nor can I put on enough lotion or sunscreen.

This reminds me of an older lady i knew as a kid. Her name was Mrs. B. and she lived in a mobile home park in the town my Dad was raised in. I loved Mrs. B. She was always very kind and she always had some sort of old-lady candy that she would give to me.

When I would go to see Mrs. B., she would give me hug and a kiss and there would be this really dry rough patch of skin on her cheek that was like sand paper. It begged for some lotion.

I used to wonder how that happened, and now I know. She lived in the desert where the moisture is literally sucked out of you.

On different note I have to go to the library and return some books today that are overdue. I have a bad history of not returning books in this state, but since I haven't had a card here in my married name they haven't picked up on it yet. I gotta run and return the books before they realize I got married 12 years ago and skipped out of town without paying my $13.00 fine.

You didn't know I was fugitive of the law did you?